Writers

Newsroom

Related Topics

A rhinoceros that arrived in Israel last week to join the Ramat Gan safari has been named Rihanna, after the R&B star.

The safari announced on Tuesday that, despite having received dozens of suggestions from the public for Israeli names, the half-ton rhino will be called Rihanna, after the sexy Barbados-born performer. The name was proposed by one of the air-crew who helped fly Rihanna to Israel last Thursday from a game reserve in Pretoria, South Africa.

Safari spokeswoman Sagit Horowitz told the Times of Israel that Rihanna — the rhino — is doing well after her flight and is settling in nicely on a mixed diet of local food and supplies that came with her from Africa.

Rihanna — the singer — performed in Tel Aviv in May 2010, on her “Last Girl on Earth” European tour. She helped Scouts and volunteers in Tel Aviv paint the walls of a meeting center, and visited Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Western Wall, where she put a note in the cracks — possibly not asking for a rhino to be subsequently named after her.

Barbadian singer Rihanna performs during a concert in Tel Aviv on May 30, 2010, as part of her ‘Last Girl on Earth’ tour. (photo credit: Flash90)

The last rhinoceros to arrive at the wildlife park was also named after a singer, Israel’s Keren Peles.

Rihanna will be kept fenced off from the rest of her new herd until they become accustomed to her presence. If all goes well, the two-year old will join the rest of the safari’s rhinos in the coming weeks.